The In-between
by Curved Silence of Ishtar
Summary: There are a lot of big moments in life. Some are good, some are bad. This is for the things that happen between those moments. T for now, as I am not sure what all will happen, might go up to M if something heavy happens or is requested. I will do as many requests as possible. Oneshots strung together, with reader requests
1. A Quick Note

**A fast note to start this out. I was looking back on my other story 'Saying Goodbye' and thought it would be nice to do some little snippits of other times. Little oneshots of happier (or sad still) times that could have been overlooked or just not told much about if at all in the story. I want to do as many as I can think of, but I would love it if you put in requests for things too. I enjoy getting feedback and I like to make others (hopefully) happy with things I make. So... I will get something posted here soon, and let's see how far we can ride this horse!**


	2. Snowflakes

The In-between

The first snow of the year.

You hold your arms out wide and smile up at the sky, letting the snowflakes dance over your skin and stick to your eyelashes. It had been five years, and you were still free. The sun shining over your head and the cold breeze that pulled at the scarf around your neck were proof.

You had been so excited when you and your monster family had gotten free. It was summer, so you could not show them the wonder that was winter yet, but oh how you wished it would hurry. You knew some of them would be a bit unimpressed, since Snowdin was an eternal winter, at least... Until they say the sun on the snow. You had not been able to wait for that day.

You opened your eyes as a cloud passed overhead, the sudden shadow pulling you from your memories. The weather would be picking up soon, and you knew that your parents would get worried if you were still out and about when it started to fall thick. You considered calling Toriel to ask for a ride home, but decided that walking was a better option. First snowfalls were not a thing to be missed, after all.

You leave the video store with a smile on your face that was covered as you pulled the scarf tighter around your head. It seemed like a good omen to you. First day at your first job, and you got to walk home with the dancing white flakes around you. It had been threatening snow for almost a week, and had held off until now. It was beautiful.

You walked down the sidewalk and laughed, spinning in a little circle. You were an adult now! You had a job and everything! Now if only-

You slammed against the ground hard, your bottom skidding over the ice that you had failed to notice and sending you into a brief spin.

...Maybe you would wait until you got home for any more dancing...

You grin at the sky again, thanking it for being there and for the snow.


	3. Embargo!

The In-between

"Wh-how? How did you do that?!"

You glare at the television screen, your character on the screen sprawled on their back as the other, played by Sans, struck a victory pose and music played.

Four times. Four times he had beat you with almost full health. You had thought you were good at this game, but it was obvious that perhaps you had overestimated your abilities... You growl and snatched a handful of popcorn and crammed it in your mouth, not looking at the short skeleton, knowing that he was smirking as he shrugged.

"You _butter_ believe it, kid. I am just better at this than you."

You turn your head slowly, eyes narrowing at the offending person. Without a word you reach out and wipe your butter-greasy hand down the side of his skull, smiling at the sound of disgust he made as he flinched away. His eyes went dark and his smile stretched even wider as you put your hand into the bowl again, being sure to wipe your hand around the bottom. He was going to regret beating you at this game.

"Don't you do it, kid..."

"Sans... You did this to yourself."

"I swear, I will call Thunderdome."

"I thought the game was Thunderdome."

He shrugged, watching your hand as you pulled it from the bowl and held it so your fingers were splayed wide. You were going to have to be quick if you were going to get him, and you needed to keep him talking if you wanted to even hope of getting away unscathed.

"That was the first Thunderdome. You want an embargo?"

You sigh and drop your hand, shaking your head.

"I didn't think so-"

"BETRAYAL!"

You smash your buttery hand on his skull again, this time being sure to wipe it on his hoodie as well. You smirk and stand, waiting for the skeleton to respond.

He sits quietly, wiping at the grease print on his shirt before looking up at you and letting out a sigh.

"Oh, very well. Still, it would be better if there were not guests around for this."

With a pop, he vanished. You charge for the fusebox, knowing that there would not really be any time to stop him, but it was the trying that was fun. The apartment went dark, and you heard Alphys squeal and Undyne swear. They had been looking forward to some gaming to break in your new apartment, not a literal power struggle. You turn and take a step back into the living room, where Sans is already waiting, his eye lighting everything nearby with it's blue glow, the removed fuse in his hand.

"Who runs Bartertown, kid?"

You say nothing, crossing your arms and lifting your chin.

"I said, who runs Bartertown?"

You saw Alphys shaking on the sofa and curled against Undyne. You felt a pang of guilt for causing her this distress. You had forgotten that she was afraid of the dark...

"Sans runs Bartertown."

The skeleton grinned and held his empty hand up to his ear.

"I didn't catch that, kid. Run it by me again?"

You sigh. He was really enjoying this far too much.

"Sans runs Bartertown."

"A little louder."

You take a deep breath and Alphys covered her ears and braced herself for the shouting.

"SANS RUNS BARTERTOWN!"

He vanished and the lights came back on a few moments later, followed by his howling laughter and the cry of

"EMBARGO OVER!"

You looked at Undyne and Alphys, your face apologizing for the game.

You would get him back for this later.


	4. Fighting

The In-between

Asgore wondered how long humans were supposed to be like this...

He shifted from foot to foot, listening from downstairs as you and Toriel argued. You had failed your math class' spring finals, resulting in a grounding to last over the spring break. You had taken it upon yourself to sneak out with your human friends to go to see a movie.

Needless to say, you were busted.

Your mother had went to bring you a snack while you were supposed to be studying, and when she opened the door and saw the lump in the bed, she had smiled and went to pat you on the hair. Hair that was not there, because the lump was a pillow and some wadded up sheets. She had not called your cell phone, deciding to wait in the kitchen instead until you came home at half past midnight.

"And where exactly have you been?"

You froze and slowly turned, your eyes wide. You were not expecting the monster woman to be there, and you had not even considered that she would have caught on to you.

"H-hi mom..."

The monster had raised her eyebrow and quietly asked you again as to where you had been. You had answered curtly, then turned to go upstairs.

That had been a mistake.

Toriel didn't yell. At least, not that you had really seen. The astounding sight had left you momentarily speechless and then sparked you into anger. She said you obviously did not respect her, that you were irresponsible, that you were going to be even more grounded than before. You shouted back that she couldn't talk to you like that, and you had said she had no control over you as she was not your mother.

After that, you both exploded.

Asgore waited until there was a lull in the yelling, gently putting himself between you and raising his hands, his low voice calm and soothing.

"Now, I think everybody needs to calm down and just take a breath. Nobody meant the things that were said-"

You shrieked in rage and turned away from them both, slamming your bedroom door and locking it.

"You open this door right now, Frisk!"

"No!"

"I'll use my magic!"

She heard you shuffle around, slinging things around.

"Go ahead! I HOPE IT HITS ME ON THE WAY THROUGH!"

And the fighting continued...

Asgore sighed when later Toriel cried and hugged you. You had burned yourselves out fighting and had finally calmed down. He scratched his beard and shook his head, deciding it was a human thing.

He wondered how long this sort of thing would last in humans...


	5. The Show Must Go On

The In-between

You really didn't want to do this.

You hated going to the doctor's, and you hated going back because of your stupid fractured pelvis was causing you more pain and the doctor had called you back to discuss something that was seen in the x-ray. You hated riding in the car right now. It hurt your hip, it hurt your legs, it just hurt. You were irritable on the ride there, hardly speaking a word to your mother the whole half hour ride.

Oh, how you wanted to hurt the inventor of car seats right then.

The office was too cold for you. Sterile, unfeeling. The walls off-white and the ugly bluish carpet pristine and stiff. You and your mother waited as the doctor flipped through your file, sneaking glances over his glasses at the goat monster. While people were used to monsters being on the surface, even after all this time they could not help but stare.

To be fair, your mother was a very impressive figure.

"Now, Frisk, when you came in after your fall you remember that we took x-rays of the hips and spine, right? We were not sure when we first looked, aside from the fractures, at what we were seeing. I thought that perhaps it was some old scarring or maybe disfigurement from previous injury. However," he placed the film on a lightboard, then used his pen to point out an area that was weirdly darkened and slightly... swollen...

"This area looks to be... unusual. The dark area could be a tumor, but until we-"

You stopped thinking at that point. At least, you stopped paying attention to the doctor. You looked to your mother, who had set her jaw and was listening intently and went ahead and made arrangements for an appointment with a specialist so that you could learn what was going on.

…...

You sat with your mother and father at their kitchen table, a cup of coffee between your hands. You knew that the three of you would have to tell the others in time, probably later today when they came around for movie night. You have always loved movie night, but you just couldn't bring yourself to care about it today...

"Frisk?"

"Hm?"

You look up at your father, snapping out of your thoughts and smiling apologetically. You had not meant to stop listening to him, really you hadn't, but it was hard to focus these last few days.

"I asked you if you wanted to do this tonight. We can always move the movie back if you need more time to..."

He trailed off and you smiled, taking a big drink of your coffee. No, you would rather do this now, and get it done with. You knew the coming days would be hard, and you would not be able to keep up with your friends for long. You may as well enjoy this while it lasted.

…...

Everybody was quiet that night. There was a little of the usual playful arguing over the movie to watch, but this time nobody jostled you when they made their way to their usual spots. Nobody threw a pillow at you when you voiced your opinion on the male lead. No popcorn bowls levitated to upend over your head, leaving you with buttery hair.

Tonight they were all so careful. Even Undyne and Papyrus were careful with you, like if they touched you with much force, you would fall apart. As you sat with your head on Toriel's arm and your feet propped on San's bony legs, you realised you were being guarded. Undyne in front of you, her finned ear always pointed slightly your way, Papyrus behind with a protective air. Your parents tensed and ready for they knew not what, Alphys watching you openly, curious and wary. Even Sans, who usually dozed off at about the halfway mark in movies had his eyes wide open and was watching you closely. It was all you could do to not shout "boo" just to see if they would all jump.

You didn't, because you knew that someday that might be something you needed them to do. You hated feeling like you were the reason that they were all a breath away from a fight with your body.

For tonight, you wanted to pretend to be normal. For tonight, the show must go on.

 **(AN: Okay, a few chapters out of me for the day. If you have anything you want me to do for a chapter, please don't be afraid to ask! I welcome the respite from a very dull room. I hope any of you who are reading are enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it. Good night, beauties)**


	6. Birthday Morning

The In-between

You woke with a grin, bouncing out of bed and rushing across the hall to wake your skeletal roommates. It was your birthday and they had promised a whole day of doing whatever you wanted, starting first thing in the morning. It was 8, so you figured that it was late enough to start banging on doors.

"Papyrus!" you opened the door after a sharp knock, knowing the tall skeleton would already be mostly awake at the first sign of your being awake. "Hey Paps. Wakey-wakey!"

You were honestly a little surprised that he was still asleep at this hour. He and Undyne were both early birds, up with the sun. Today he sat up, his striped pajamas hanging off his bones as he blinked at you.

"What time is it, human?"

You hopped up on his bed with a smile, which the skeleton returned as he looked at his calander.

"OH! HUMAN! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! WE SHOULD CELEBRATE WITH BREAKFAST SPAGHETTI!"

Just like that, he was a whirlwind of activity, dressing, talking, arranging his desk, and talking the whole time. You just sat and listened to him, laughing at the fact he was already wearing his 'cool clothes' under his pajamas. He said it was to save time today, because he was to excited to get the day started.

"YOU SHOULD JOIN UNDYNE AND I FOR OUR RUN! YOU WOULD LIKE IT, HUMAN! RUNNING WHILE WE DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WOULD BE NEATO!"

"We shouldn't plan without the others, Paps. I don't want people to be left out."

"JUST RUNNING THEN! AND HOOTING ABOUT HOW GREAT WE ARE!"

You laughed at that. Papyrus was a bright spot on any day, and it made your heart so happy to have him living as your roommate along with his brother. Even if his idea of a good way to start the day was at least a five mile run...

"A short run Paps. Like, me short. A mile tops, got it?"

He narrowed his eyes at you for a moment, then nodded.

"ALRIGHT! ONE MILE IS BETTER THAN NO MILES! NOW GO WAKE MY BROTHER WHILE I GET YOUR GEAR!"

You rolled your eyes, but stood up and made your way for the door. Papyrus always had you wake Sans, as he seemed to have it in his bony head that the shorter skeleton actually roused faster for you since you would not rise to the bait that Papyrus did.

You knocked and heard nothing. You knocked again and heard a grunt. You swing the door open and quietly walked in, sitting on the edge of the bed and giving the sleeping monster a gentle shake.

"Hey. Hey sleepybones, it's time to wake up."

Another grunt and the skeleton wormed his way further down into the blankets. You smile and shake him again, a little harder this name, calling him. When he stubbornly refused to budge, you bounced a little. That got a response, so you decided to skip right to the big guns for waking a sleeper.

"Sans, if you don't get up, I am going to have to do something drastic."

Grumbling from the blankets. You stand and climb up onto the bed and stand on unsteady feet. The matress was brand new, and very springy. This was going to be great.

"Last chance, bonehead. If I have to go for a run on my birthday, you have to get up so that you can have coffee ready for me."

Another groan. He was at least half awake. Good, less chance of getting tossed accidentally that way.

"Get up, Sans."

"No."

You smile. You knew this was how this was going to go, but it always was fun. You jump up into the air and come down hard on your feet, jarring the short skeleton to one side before leaping into the air again, this time bringing your legs up to your chest. This time he was bounced right out of bed, landing on the floor with a curse in a tangle of bedding. He glared up at you as you laughed, grabbing the blanket and yanking it so you tumbled to the floor as well, where you continue to laugh.

Sans waited until you calmed and chuckled to himself, shaking his head.

"Well, if you are going to go on that run, you better go before Paps carries you out."

You and Papyrus decide to make breakfast when you get home and say goodbye to Sans as he sits at the table with his first cup of coffee of the day in front of him.

…...

As you stood in the shower, you decide that you hate running again. The scraped knee and bruised elbow you sported were from Undyne deciding that you were not running fast enough and chasing after you with the glowing blue spears you remembered so well from the Underground. One had snagged your pant leg and pinned it for a moment, sending you pitching forward.

You had not been pleased, but it really was an accident. And besides, she promised that next time you all got together to watch movies, she would not say a word against what you put forward as an option.

You did not really believe her about that one, but you took it for what it was and continued with the shower while Papyrus cooked. You wondered if he would try to figure out how to get candles to stick in it this year.

You would never get tired of this.


	7. Cake Day

The In-between

There were some days that you wondered how you managed to ever get into cooking before you met Papyrus and Undyne, other days you wondered how you managed to get anything done with them around at all.

Today was one of the former.

You were in a baking mood, and you had decided to call your friends over for help, unsure the burst of energy would hold out for the entire process. The fish woman had turned you down, saying that she and Alphys were busy, but made you promise to call her the next time this happened so she could take part. Papyrus, however, had jumped at the opprotunity to come over and check on you, offering to stop at the store on the way to get anything you needed. Once he had the list, you could hear his heavy footfalls in the background and Mettaton's voice.

"THE HUMAN FEELS WELL TODAY, SO THEY WISH TO BAKE AND CALLED ME FOR MY EXPERT ASSISTANCE!"

You heard the robot laugh and call out a hello, then you heard a door slam and you knew you would have roughly a half hour before Papyrus arrived. You tell him that you would meet him at the door and hang up, smiling. It had been too long since you had cooked together, and as much as you loved to cook with your mother... Your being ill had made her even more protective that she had been before, hovering over you and shooing you into a chair if you so much as yawned a little. She meant well, and you loved her for it, but today you wanted somebody high-energy that would let you keep going until you knew you had to stop.

Keeping an eye on the kitchen clock, you wandered around the kitchen, straightening and putting out the needed bowls and mixer (Toriel had bought you the stand mixer, and Papyrus always wanted to use it when he was around) before settling in to wait the last ten minutes until the tall skeleton would be pounding at the door.

…...

 _ **BAM! BAM! BAMBAMBAMBAMBAM!**_

 __You jump off the sofa, bleary-eyed. You had dozed off for a moment and the sudden rapid-fire knocks scared you into motion. You ignore the flare of pain in your hips that the jarring movement caused and opened the door to see your tall friend grinning down at you, paper bags in his arms.

"HUMAN! I TRIED TO KNOCK SOFTLY, BUT YOU FAILED TO ANSWER! I HOPE YOU ARE ALRIGHT..."

His smile dropped a little as you run your hand over your hairless head, a little ashamed at your impromptu nap.

"Nah, it's fine Paps. I just didn't hear it the first time. Come on in, and we can get started."

You were not surprised when he pulled a pineapple out of the bag, knowing how he felt about canned anything, but it still made you chuckle. You never had peeled a pineapple before, but you were not going to back down from the challenge. You pull out your biggest knife and size up the fruit while he measured the dry ingredients for the batter of the cake into a bowl to keep separate from the wet. Finally deciding that there was no really good way to cut the skin, you hacked off the leaves and stem before sawing at the fruit, determined to get the skin off as quickly as you could. The best part, at least as far as you were concerned, was the core, which you popped out as soon as you had the skin off and the fruit split in half.

"WHAT'S THAT, HUMAN?"

"The core. It's the best part."

You cut a piece off and pop it in your mouth, grinning as you gnaw at the woody piece of fruit. You hold a piece out to him and he takes it, smiling at how much more sour it is than the rest of the fruit.

"Good, right?"

You both sit there, chewing and laughing while you finish putting the sliced pineapple and cherries in the pan. There was a minor mishap with the cake batter when you held the pan and Papyrus poured, your hands getting covered with the stuff when he misjudged how far back you were holding it out. By the end, you were a sticky mess, but the cake was in the oven and all there was left to do was wait.

It was a beautiful day, even if it was a little sticky.

 **AN: Hey all. This one is based a little bit off of an experience with my younger sister, who has always had bad depth perception, and so when I hold things for her to our into, at least some of it gets on me...**


	8. Skating and flight

The In-between

You smile, tying the laces of your skates. You had decided that skating would be a thing every year when you and your monster friends got to the surface, and most years it had just been you and the skeleton brothers, but this year, it was everybody. It had been two years since you had been out here, but you thought you would be able to remember everything.

Like riding a bicycle.

You were glad that you had pretty much stopped growing after you turned 15, even if it meant you were forever reliant on a stepladder if you wanted things on top shelves. You could still wear the skates you wore in high school, instead of having to buy a new set.

You stood, wobbling a little as you shuffled to the edge of the lake. Alphys was watching you closely, while Papyrus drifted easily around next to Mettaton, who was... less than graceful on skate feet. One careful push, then another, and you were off. It took a few minutes, but soon you were spinning and zipping around, a wide smile on your face.

"You look like you are having an ice time, kid."

You turn and glare at Sans, who was going slowly along, his hands in his pockets, preferring to watch more than participate in any kind of acrobatics. You skated around him, going backwards the whole time, a smirk on your face.

"Yep, it's like dancing, just with knives on your feet instead of shoes."

You didn't miss the short skeleton's glance down at your skates and your heart sank. You knew it was not your fault, at least, not really... But...

"Well, more like scissors or something... Either way, all these ever hit is ice, right?"

The skeleton nodded, and the smile was pasted back on his face. You look around awkwardly before a startled yelp from Mettaton drew both of your attention. The robot had tried to do what he had thought was a simple turn and his skates had pulled him into a sharp spin, whirling him around and around until his legs shot out in different directions and he coasted along on his backside until he came to rest at the edge of the lake. The two of you laugh, and you feel better. Everything was alright.

You look at Sans and shrug. You both knew that the robot was determined to get better at skating, but knew his pride had more than likely been bruised.

"We should check on him."

There was a sudden loud shout, and you turned. Your father was barreling toward you, his mass carrying him forward as he flailed his arms helplessly, trying to slow himself.

"Dad! Oh hell!"

The giant goat monster collided with you, sending you both into a speeding heap toward Mettaton and the small crowd around him. You shriek, partly out of fear, partly from a weird sense of glee from the speed and knowing that this would probably not hurt at all.

WHAM!

You felt the world slow down as you are launched, sailing over a stunned Alphys and a cackling Undyne. You started to laugh before you remembered something rather important.

The fence.

The world sped up again and you windmill your arms futilely. The heavy wooden wall would stop you, yes, but you felt like you would probably lose more than your dignity if you hit it. Some teeth no doubt would be sacrificed, maybe other bones...

You close your eyes and brace for impact, but it never comes. You crack open an eye and see a knothole in front of you. Then you notice the blue light. Wordlessly, you hold out an arm and give a thumbs-up to your rescuer, knowing he would let you down once he knew you were alright. As expected, you were lowered to the ground and released after a moment.

Toriel was already at your side, dusting snow off you and checking you for injury even as you laughed. Your impromptu flight had left you giddy, the near crash-landing had put your brain on high alert, and now it had nothing to respond to, so laughing seemed the best option.

"Mom, I'm fine. Sans has my back, yeah?"

Sans gave a mock salute and wandered back out onto the ice after Undyne, listening to her laughing about Mettaton's spill and your flight. You watch them for a moment before you wriggle free of your parent's hands.

You skate out after your friends, knowing that with them all there, you would never be safer.


	9. Question in the Park

The In-between

You sit quietly, waiting for Papyrus to come back from his hunt for a drink vendor. You had agreed to come to the park with him to see the children that he was 'training' and while he knew you would be doing no running, he thought that being around the lively bunch and getting some fresh air would do you good. Your hair, something that you had never even considered at one point, was long gone. Your bare scalp covered instead with a patterned scarf that fluttered in the breeze.

You had gotten tired early, of course, since there were only two settings for you. Tired and not tired yet. You had only been there for a half hour, so when you went to the bench you had told your tall friend that you just needed to rest your legs for a few minutes. A few minutes turned into another half hour and you could feel your energy draining still. Papyrus, seeing your discomfort, went to find you some water (he originally offered to see if there was any milk at the vendor, but you declined that. You hated milk.)

"Hey... ma'am?"

You turn your head and see a little boy, one of Papyrus' crew. He was soft-spoken, usually letting the other children talk and just listening. He looked up at your scarf and then back down to your face, his eyebrows coming together in a look of puzzlement.

"Why don't you have hair?"

You blink in surprise. You were used to people staying back from you, you knew that children asked their parents why you looked the way you did (corpse-like, by your reckoning) and you understood the looks of pity. You were not ready for the little boy to outright ask you. You had to admire his honesty with being curious though.

"My cousin says you're sick, but I told him I thought you were maybe an alien and forgot your hair."

You burst into laughter. You couldn't help it. He was so frank, and the words said in such a matter-of-fact way that you couldn't hold it back. Your laughing alerted the other children to your presence again. They had forgotten you after Papyrus had started them all running about in spirited games.

"Well, okay... Your cousin is right. I am sick, but I like your idea better, so I am going with that one. But why an alien?"

The boy tapped his chin with a pudgy finger, then looked carefully at your face before answering.

"You have big eyes. And you are skinny, and they look like that on TV."

You chuckle and wave him off when his friends call to him. An alien, eh? Maybe you could work with that, when Halloween came around...

You look down at your hands, which had been clenched in your lap the whole time. The boy didn't know it, as you wore layers even in the warm summer months, but you were thinner than you actually looked. The cancer had eaten the flesh just as easily as it ate at your bones, leaving you looking like one of the old paintings of lost souls, skin stretched tightly over a withered skeleton. Your scars were also hidden under your layered clothes, and rarely say the light of day. Scars from tubes, surgery, samples and fits of depression were scattered all around on you. Things to hide, you thought. Scars, discolored blotches on your skin that would never be the right color again, bumps and ridges. All things that you fought so hard to hide.

You suddenly felt very lost and scared. You know the possible outcome, and you know that if it happens, it is not going to be fast. You will wither, you will crumble, and then, when there is nothing left to be taken from you, you will be permitted to go.

You brush away the tears when you hear Papyrus coming, shouting about flavored water. Your thoughts on mortality would wait, and it was a beautiful day. Nothing would take this day from you, because you knew that if you stayed strong, there would be more.


	10. Dance Again

The In-between

The park was as pretty as it always was, little plots of flowers waving gaily in the late afternoon breeze and bending their brightly colored heads up to the sun. Your family and friends, knowing how you hated sitting in the chair you were confined to, had spread out a blanket at the foot of a broad tree and placed you on it, the chair sitting a little way off.

You watched as your mother and father unpacked the dinner they had brought along for everyone, chatting away with the collected monsters that had arrived one by one. You had come with Mettaton and Alphys after the robot's maintenance had been finished, and Undyne and Papyrus had arrived shortly after. The tall skeleton had brought a cooler with him, filled with as many things as it could hold and then some, saying he was not sure what everybody would want. You had laughed when he put the cooler down beside you, then went back to get a second one that he had filled to the brim with ice, stating that he had not wanted to be short, in case somebody needed more.

Sans showed up as the sun had moved down slightly in the sky, making his bones take on an orange color. He waved when the others called out to him, then flashed into the middle of the group, smiling. He spoke to Toriel and Asgore in hushed tones as you watched fireflies floating up in the leaves above you with Mettaton. The robot found them fascinating, as he always did, exclaiming when one came down and landed on your hand. He played music from the radio he had installed on himself, smiling when you closed your eyes and swayed your shoulders. You missed dancing.

"Do you want to try, darling?"

The robot was standing in front of you now, smiling down at you with his hand held out. You were not sure that you could, but oh, you wanted to dance. The music was slow and you hoped that maybe you could get through one song...

You nod and reached out, taking his hand and letting yourself be pulled to your feet. It hurt, but you gritted your teeth and bore it wordlessly, trying to think of it as when you first were in your dance classes. The shoes and positions had hurt, but had gotten better. You took a clumsy step, then another, Mettaton trying to keep you upright and moving as carefully as possible. After a few careful steps, you shook your head, tears stinging the corners of your eyes.

"I'm sorry. It hurts too much, Mettaton... I don't get to dance anymore."

The robot looked over his shoulder at the collected monsters, who looked down at their feet. Undyne scuffed her foot against the ground, her hands clasped behind her. She had laughed when you had started dancing as a child, but had never missed a show. She knew that kind of love for something, and it pained her greatly to see you unable to do one of the things that had brought you so much happiness...

Suddenly, you were limned with soft blue light and felt yourself become lighter, though the ground was still under your feet.. You snapped your head around and saw Sans smile, shrugging his shoulders.

"You should try now. You should still move fine, I'm pretty much just holding you up."

You take a slow step, unsure. In the past, Sans had just used his power to slow your falls, or move you physically, you had never had total control of your movement when he used it on you. Your leg moved easily, and you turned slowly with your arms stretched over your head. You had thought that you had felt freedom several times as you had grown up. Your first bike, your first job, your first car, the first day in an apartment of your own...

But none of it felt like this.

Mettaton's smile widened as you began to move in time to the beat of a new song that began to play, quick and lively. You spun and whirled with the robot, singing along with the him as the music played on. You squealed as he spun you away from him into Asgore's waiting arms. The huge goat man was surprisingly graceful, considering his size. You let him turn you and danced a stomping quick dance with him as the music changed. It was an old dance, one that his father had taught him in his youth, passed down through his family for as far back as he could tell.

You were passed to Undyne and Toriel in turn, laughing and dancing as Mettaton changed his music to suit every new person you went to. Even Alphys did a few steps with you before turning an alarming shade of red and covering her face, and you giggled at her embarrassment. She would dance with you only in complete privacy of her own home. That was alright. You were scooped up by Papyrus and spun were swiftly around by the tall skeleton, laughing along with him. He was still more gentle than he was when you were well, but his dancing was still almost frantic in it's speed.

Finally you were turned over to Sans, who shrugged and took your hands and danced with you, slowly. His dancing was a welcome respite from his brother, who had left you dizzy through your laughter. You knew it was not really his thing, but you were glad that he decided to join in this time. You smiled at him and rested your forehead against his, wanting to hold on to the feeling this evening had for as long as you could.

"Thank you."

The skeleton shrugged and released you to allow you to sit where you had been before, then released the magic that held you once you were settled. The others gathered to you and chattered excitedly. Perhaps you could do this when you wanted to dance, at least until you got better, when the older skeleton was around. He shrugged when you looked at him, a hopeful smile on your face. You didn't usually ask things of him like this, but to be able to move again, even for just a while...

Finally, he smiled and put his hands in his pockets.

"It's a promise, kid."


	11. The Day the Light Went Out

The In-between

 **Quick note, this takes place at the same time as chapter 19 of Saying Goodbye. I suggest you read that, but if you don't want to, no worries. :)**

Sans wandered up and down the aisle of the little bookstore as his brother browsed, saying that he needed to find something new to read to you when they went back. He had taken to reading to you when he visited the apartment that was often far too quiet. He had read Fluffy Bunny, Wind In The Willows, Charlotte's Web, and even parts of your journal before deciding that maybe that was a poor idea.

"Do you think she would like this one, Sans?"

He held up a brightly colored book, the hero standing on the cover looking out over a city, red cape fluttering in the breeze. Sans tried to smile and nod. His smiles were harder and harder to call upon anymore, though for Papyrus, he always tried.

"Looks like a winner, bro. I am sure she will like anything you get though."

With a thoughtful mumble, the taller skeleton turned to look through other books. As was his habit, he talked the entire time. He knew his brother was not listening most of the time, but he could not help himself. Sans' near-constant silence worried him as much as the heavy air in your apartment, and at least he knew exactly what was happening with you. With Sans, he was at a loss.

Sans looked down at his feet, shoving his hands into the pockets of his coat. It had taken an hour of convincing on his friend's parts to get him to leave you. They told him that he needed to go out, stretch his legs, that they would be there should anything happen and would call him right away. He nervously looked at his phone. Nothing. Not so much as a text. After a moment, he typed out a message to Undyne.

 _How is everything going?_

He waited, then became frustrated as time crept by. He was about to send an irritated message when his phone beeped.

 _Everything's good. They're still sleeping. Don't worry, you will know if anything happens._

He sighed and put his phone back in his pocket. Always the same with everybody when he tried to check in when he was away. 'Don't worry' and 'We will let you know' and 'Just relax for a while'. It made him angry, unreasonably so, he knew, but still...

Papyrus' voice cut through his thoughts and he tried to smile again. It was more steady than the last attempt, but it was still weak and felt wrong on his face. His brother held a bag that held his new books, and he was looking down at his brother with a worried look.

"Sans?"

"Hm?"

"I asked if you wanted to get something for dinner on our way home. You need to eat, and I know you have not been eating the way you should and-"

"Sure, Paps. What do you want?"

He didn't have the patience for a health tirade, however well-meaning, today. He did not want to end up hurting his little brother's feelings, so interrupting seemed the best option. The look on the taller monster's face told him that he was a bit miffed by the interruption, but decided to let it go in favor of peace.

They chatted about their options as they walked, and Sans felt a little better. Maybe the others were right, maybe getting some fresh air was a good idea. Finally, they decided to pick up sandwiches from a little store a black down the street, and headed in that direction. Papyrus chattered away, trying to not look like he was concerned over the grey tint his brother's bones had taken, or how he walked even slower than before. He knew Sans was tired, and sad, but he did not know how to help beyond what he was trying to do now.

They had just sat down on a bench to eat when Sans jumped. His phone rang, the vibration rattling against his hipbone and earning a confused noise. He saw Alphys' name and felt the world slow.

"Alphys, what-"

Her voice, usually high and stuttering, was thin and somehow an even higher pitched as she spoke, trying to get the words out as fast as she could. He could barely understand her.

"What's going on?"

"You n-need to get here! F-Frisk, they're-"

Wordlessly, he hung up and dropped his sandwich to the ground and grabbed Papyrus by the arm.

"Sans, wha-"

 _Pop!_

They were in the bookstore.

 _Pop!_

They were at the traffic light by the grocery store.

 _Pop!_

They were in an alley five minutes from where you lived.

 _Pop!_

They were at the door.

Sans released his brother and slammed the door open, charging up the stairs, Papyrus hot on his heels. The taller skeleton was a little disoriented from the rapid changes in location, but he knew that he needed to follow Sans. If he had not warned him to the sudden departure, there had to be a reason, and their location and the speed he was moving at told Papyrus that something was very wrong. Something that would never be right again.

The sounds coming from your bed were terrible. Rasping gasps punctuated by long silences. Sans was up on the bed, holding your hand and talking to you, telling you to wait just a little longer. Telling you that Toriel and Asgore were coming, asking you to please, please, just hold on a little longer...

Papyrus stood watching as Undyne went down the stairs to tell Alphys to come up. He called Mettaton and held the phone by your ear so that the robot could say goodbye, his voice buzzing as he held back tears. He listened as Undyne opened the door to let your parents in, heard the thunder of large feet on the stairs, and the choked goodbyes. Finally, he listened as you exhaled one last time and the horrible sounds of mourning began. Asgore's ragged sobs, Toriel's keening wails, Alphys and Undyne's muffled cries. His own tears ran as he looked to his brother, who sat in complete silence.

A light had gone from their lives.


	12. Party Preparations

The In-between

You were quiet, sitting in front of a mirror as you painstakingly painted a new face over your own. Your favorite fall holiday was upon you, and you only had two hours before you and Sans were supposed to meet everybody else.

You waved your hand in front of your face, fanning your makeup dry as you reached for the next color. You had a picture for reference, but you always worried that you were going to get something wrong. The stark white face stared back from the mirror as you unscrewed the jar and picked up your next brush. Grey was painted on in a wide swath on your cheek from the end of your chin up to just under your eye.

"SANS! OIII! I need help!"

The short skeleton wandered in as you were pulling out a large brush and jar, looking vaguely amused, as you drew in another breath to shout for him again.

"What's up, kid?"

You smile and shove the items into his hand and pull your hair up into a clip and turn your back to him.

"Get the back of my neck. You can see better than I can, and then I can finish that. Might need help with my costume too, when I get to it."

The short skeleton laughed when you jumped when the brush hit your neck, then laughed harder when you scolded him for not warning you that he was starting. Liquid makeup was cold, you said, and you didn't like sudden cold.

When it was finished, you thanked him and took back your supplies, telling him to be sure that he was ready to go soon. You wanted to get there a little early to help your friends set up, and make sure that your human friends and monster friends were all having an easy time getting everything started.

Sans watched you quickly paint the front of your neck before drawing thin black lines on the grey areas, then a few dots over a carefully redrawn eyebrow. He stood there for a bit, waiting for you to see he was still there, wondering if you would jump. You usually did when you were busy with something. You had a bit of tunnel vision when you got going on something, and it was him who usually reminded you that you had to eat and sleep.

Finally, you painted your upper lip pink and pulled a wig over your hair, giving yourself shorter dark hair that was carefully shaped instead of your usual longer unkempt arrangement. When you were adjusting it, he smiled when he saw your eyes finally fix on him through the mirror.

"You going to stand there, or get ready, bonehead?"

The skeleton shrugged and smiled, amused when you huffed and stood, pulling off the bathrobe that protected the tight-fitting shirt and pants you wore. At your mock glare, he turned on his heel and walked to the closet. His costume was in there, as were the other parts of yours. He never understood the point of dressing up like this, but it made you happy so...

Soon you were both completely changed and walking to the apartment Undyne shared with Alphys. You would ride with them from there, provided that they were ready, of course.

Sans caught you when you stumbled, unused to the high heels you wore.

"Told you that Mettaton was a bad idea. You are going to break your neck in those."

You smile and get your balance back, hanging onto the bony hand and taking a few careful steps. Maybe the shoes were a bit much, but you knew that the robot would love it.

"Worth it. The look on your brother's face is going to be priceless."

"Paps is gonna blow a-" he tapped the chest-plate you had made, indicating the light in it " _fuse_ when he sees it."

"Aw, boooo. That was bad."

You tugged the scarf he wore, grinning like a fool. You had decided on costumes this year, since Sans had done it last year and you did not want a repeat of skeleton and human. That was unimaginative and boring.

"By the way, you are the shortest version of Papyrus I have ever seen."

"And you are the shortest Mettaton. And clumsiest."

"I was not made for heels."

You both laugh, and are met outside by Alphys and Undyne. The first in a character costume of one of her shows, the second in her old armor. You all were smiling as you get in the car. Suddenly, you turned and looked at Sans, but something was wrong. Your makeup was gone, and you were thin and ragged. Your lips were an ugly purple and thin, your eyes sunken into their sockets...

"This was fun, Sans."

…...

Sans sat up in bed, gasping. He looked around, confused.

"Frisk? Kid?"

You were nowhere. He remembered suddenly that you would never be back, and for the first time in the week since you passed, he let the tears fall. He wished he had the power you once had...

He wished there was some way to bring you back...

 **Next one will be happy, I promise...**


	13. Flame War

The In-between

"Okay, then we all know the rules?"

You were sitting between your friends, Alphys to your right, Undyne to your right. Sans, Papyrus and Asgore sitting on the opposite side of the table. On plates between you sat small peppers, little piles of bright red and shiny orange, looking far more innocent than they had any right to.

You had dubbed the game Flame War, beginning from the day that you asked your friends to play, but Undyne had shot it down on the grounds of it being too boring. The rules were easy, same as regular war, with two exceptions: First, the losers at the end of every hand had to eat one of the peppers. Second, if you still had cards to play with and you drank something to deaden the fire on your mouth, you automatically lost and would have to eat three more as punishment.

You smile at Alphys, knowing that she had quite a tolerance for spice. She always did well, and had never gotten a punishment yet. You grinned wider and brought your hand up from under the table and dropped a small bag with three shriveled peppers inside onto the table.

"W-what are t-those?"

"These are Trinidad Scorpions. Very very hot. These will be eaten when the first three people go out. Everybody agree?"

Asgore looked troubled, but said nothing. He had never played these games with you. The others nodded and waited while Papyrus dealt the cards. Part of you really looked forward to seeing your mother's face when she saw that you had dragged Asgore into this.

You grinned and looked around the table, a thrill running up you. You loved watching everybody else have to eat the hot peppers, even if it meant that you had to eat them too. The scorpions would be something to be reckoned with though, and you just hoped that you lasted past the first three losers.

"Ready?"

Everybody picked up their first card and glanced at each other. This was why you liked this game, nothing was known until cards were actually played. No strategy, just sheer luck.

"War!"

You all flipped your cards and groaned. Undyne won the first hand, her king beating everybody's number cards easily. With a sigh, you reached for a pepper as the other four losers did the same. Undyne laughed as you all bit down on your peppers, and everybody cringed. Alphys didn't have too much trouble, though her face darkened a little and she had to blink rapidly to keep little tears from forming in her eyes. Papyrus whined as he chewed his as fast as he could, then allowed his jaw to hang open for a moment after he swallowed it, a weak laugh escaping him. You slapped the table with your flat hand, chewing and sniffling as the heat seared up into your nose and down your throat before you managed to get it down, hiccuping. Sans ate his with seemingly no trouble, though he was sweating and flapped his shirt once. Asgore seemed to fare a little worse than you, taking nearly a full two minutes to force the pepper down before letting out a rumbling burp.

As time went on and more peppers were eaten, everybody started to look the worse for wear. Asgore's fur stuck to his face and his breaths came in deeps gasps when he spoke. Alphys was dark orange and her eyes streamed with tears as she eyed the six large glasses of milk that were lined up on the counter. You could hear Undyne's gasping as she wiped at her mouth over and over, then scratched at her chest, cursing. Papyrus and Sans were both sweating, the elder fanning his skull with a card as he glared at you. Papyrus finally went out the next hand and was permitted one drink from his glass before having to sit and wait for the next two players that went out.

…...

You went to draw a card, but your hand was met only by cool wood. You wondered if it would feel good to put your face on it. It did.

"I'm out."

Undyne's laugh was thin and she pushed the bag of peppers at you, a wide grin on her face. You all had agreed that when the three went out, you would end the game. For everybody's sake. You rose, opening the bag and pulling the peppers out as you looked to the ones who would suffer with you. Papyrus took his without a word, then waited as you handed the other one to Asgore. You nod to them and all three of you put the peppers in your mouths and held them there for a moment before taking deep breaths and chewing.

The pain was incredible and immediate. You let out a muffled cry as Papyrus clapped his hands over his mouth, tears rolling down his cheekbones. Asgore's eyes went wide and made a dash for the sink, turning on the cold water full force and shoving his face into the stream. The howling laughter of your friends was drowned out by your pulse pounding in your ears as you raced Papyrus to the glasses of milk, ignoring the horrible taste as it cut through the burning.

"More!"

You gasp and grab a second glass as Papyrus drained his third, listening to the others laugh. Finally, you can manage to stop drinking and open the freezer and taking a deep breath of the cold air that poured out. You grabbed a popsicle and tried to open it, but your hands were shaking and your fingers sweaty. Your other friends had all risen to get drinks of their own, and you smiled at Sans as he took mercy on you and tore the plastic open for you and handed you the cold treat.

"You need to chill, kid"

"Sans, no"

Your words were muffled by the popsicle, but you didn't care. Asgore took your lead and pulled a popsicle out for himself as well, leaning on the wall and sighing as he cooled his mouth, tears rolling down his face.

"Never again..."

You jumped when a paper towel was pushed into your hand, then hastily wiped your face when Sans grinned and tapped his chin. You had started drooling at some point, and were glad that your face couldn't hold more blood, since you would have started blushing from embarrassment.

"So nerd, we doing this again next week?"

You looked at Undyne and nodded. Maybe next time, though, you would not get the scorpion peppers...


	14. Eclipse

The In-between

You were never sure about this sort of thing. Usually when something with celestial phemnomena was going to happen, the sky would be overcast or it would be too cold or everybody had something they had to do and couldn't get out of. For you, that thing was usually class. Or work...

But not this time.

You bounded into your mother's home, shrieking gleefully as you tore through the house and up to your room. You had risen early to get the things you would need for the event. A wide sheet for sitting, a chart of planets, drinks, snacks, sunglasses for the people who had eyes that would be effected by looking up at the sun, a new sketchbook and a roll of film for your camera.

You heard footsteps coming to your doorway as you jammed the film into the ancient camera, laughing when it clicked shut and the little whirring sound told you that it was ready for action.

"My child, you are so excited... How often does this happen?"

You grin up at Toriel, who was pulling on her large purple cardigan while trying to balance a basket loaded down with more food.

"Mom, this is going to be great! No clouds, good weather, everybody here! For a total solar eclipse to happen in the same place takes almost 400 years! You know I have been trying to get us all to see a lunar, but this is going to be awesome!"

She watched you as you spun in a giddy dance, flinging your arms out and stomping your feet. You heard Asgore laughing downstairs and called for him to help you load everything into their car, which was much larger than your own clunker.

Once the three of you had packed everything up, you were off. You would meet the others in the park. You had picked the park because it was your favorite place, and would be quiet for you and your friends. You bounced in the back seat, drumming your fingers on your legs and leaning forward to chatter with your parents. Your excitement made them smile, and Toriel could not help but think of her lost Asriel. Your sunny disposition closely matched his, and times like this she wished that you had been able to grow up with him...

"Mom? Are you okay?"

Your voice was subdued, pulling her back to reality. She nodded and shook her long ears back behind her shoulders.

"I am fine, my child. My mind wandered is all..."

You sat quietly, trying to get a read on her mood before deciding that it was best not to dwell. The rest of the drive went by without incident, and soon you were unloading the car and calling out to Papyrus and Undyne. The tall fish woman was holding a very flustered looking Alphys over her head with one arm, while Papyrus was doing the same to his brother, who was smiling his usual sleepy grin.

"HUMAN! ASGORE! LADY ASGORE!"

"Toriel..."

"WE HAVE FOUND A PERFECT PLACE!"

You grinned and charged forward, arms full of cloth and books. You wanted to get set up so you could explain things if your friends had questions. You knew Asgore and Toriel would not have any, you had been talking their ears off for almost three weeks about the eclipse, detailing exact reasons why they happened and the different types of solar eclipse. You cast you eyes about for Mettaton and his cousin when you heard your name being called in a sing-song voice.

"Friiisk~! There you are, darling! I thought I was at the wrong park for a bit there."

The tall robot wandered over, holding a hat on his head as he pulled his ghost cousin along by an arm. He smiled at you and released Napstablook to hug you and take a book out of your arms.

"So what's so special about this, darling? Papyrus told me it was a big deal, but he couldn't tell me why, aside from that you said so."

You smiled as you helped your mother unpack the insane amount of food she had packed. Pie, bread, sliced meat, cheeses, salads, jelly, fruit, chips and drinks of every flavor. You raised an eyebrow at her and grinned when she shrugged and said she didn't know what everybody would want. You stood and looked to Alphys, gesturing for her to stand with you and explain to the others. The yellow lizard woman shook her head, for once preferring to just listen.

"A total solar eclipse is when the moon passes between the sun and the earth. Technically, eclipses happen fairly often, but not so much total ones. Most of them we don't really notice, because they are only partial. With this, the sun will be totally blocked, except the very edges! It's going to be amazing, just wait!"

You looked at your watch and saw you still had about an hour before the eclipse was supposed to start. Your friends had started in on the food while you were talking, so you joined in, wanting to make sure you had eaten before the big event. You didn't want to miss a second of it, not even for your mother's pie.

Well... maybe for pie...

…...

You smiled, picking up your camera and backing up away from your friends a little. The eclipse had begun, and they were all staring up to the sky. You raised the camera, knowing your light wouldn't last long and snapped a picture, then a few more. You were completely ignored as the monsters watched intently as the shadow of the moon slipped further and further over the sun. You knelt down and took a few pictures of individual monsters.

You went to pass Sans and Papyrus when a bony hand shot out and grabbed your sleeve, halting you. The older skeleton spoke without ever taking his eyes off what was happening above you.

"Sit down kid, you're gonna miss it."

You smile at the rapt expression on his face as he looked up, watching the shadow passing the sun. Alphys and him both seemed the most interested, though everybody else seemed interested as well. You flopped down and looked up. The shadow had only covered about a quarter of the bright star, but was swiftly moving along.

A handful of minutes later, it was over. The sun shining as brightly as it always had, and you were being pelted with questions from the monsters. Alphys and Sans did their best to help you answer with what they knew, though you still ended up taking the lion's share of them. Everybody had been so excited, so interested, that you decided that next time there was an eclipse of the moon you would all meet back here.

"HUMAN!"

You jolted and spun to face Papyrus as Sans let out a snort at your startle. You heard Undyne laughing too.

"HOW OFTEN DO THESE HAPPEN? THE GREAT PAPYRUS WOULD LIKE TO SEE ANOTHER ONE!"

You shrug, looking up at the sky again.

"Well, it depends where you are. If it's going to happen here, it won't be until long after I'm gone."

"WHY DO YOU SAY THAT?"

His eyebrows came together in a worried frown, and you smiled easily. You knew no human would live as long as your friends, though you had not considered that Papyrus would have considered that you were not going to live as long as they were...

"I'm 19, Paps. These can only be seen at certain times of the year, and even then this kind only happens in the same place every 347 years or so. Humans just don't live that long."

When you saw his face fall, you reached out and took his hand with a broad grin.

"But! Lunar eclipses happen all the time! Every two and a half years or so, so we will watch those as often as they happen. Weather permitting."

Papyrus smiled too and scooped you into a hug that crushed the air from your lungs, not noticing your gasps as he squeezed.

"I SHALL HOLD YOU TO THAT HUMAN!"

"P-P-Paps... Air... Air please!"

He released you with a mumbled "oops" and you braced yourself on your father, who laughed as you took deep greedy gasps of air.

It was a good day...

 **Hello! This was a request from OfLifeDeathAndAllBetween! I hope you like it, friend! If any of you have an idea for a chapter, please let me know!**


	15. Harsh Words

The In-between

The argument began like they usually did, something small. You and Sans didn't fight much, not really, but when a real fight happened, it was bad.

And this was a bad one.

"And what is that supposed to mean, Sans?"

The short skeleton turned on his heel so he was facing you, his eyes dark. It didn't scare you the way it did when you were a child, and you took it to mean that he was trying to be more intimidating.

"It means you aren't thinking! You're being-you're acting like-"

He cut himself off and you raised an eyebrow, crossing your arms.

"Like what? What am I acting like? Please, tell me, O Wise One. Then maybe you can tell me what I should have done instead! The guy needed help!"

"You _know_ better than to let somebody you don't know in your car!"

You felt your lips curl into an ugly snarl. You hated that tone. The one that he used when he knew that he was at least partially right. To you, it felt like the tone that people used on children and teenagers who had misbehaved in an exceptionally stupid way.

"Oh, I get it now! I was supposed to let a harmless man with no coat freeze to death out on the highway! Yeah, no, I totally get it now. Thanks, pal."

You turned away from him, reaching for the knob of the apartment door. You were leaving, you needed to leave, before your temper got the better of you or somebody came calling. Your friends visited often, and so did your parents, often without warning.

"Oh no you don't, kid."

You knew what was coming about half a second before it happened. You were lifted off the floor and pulled a few feet until you were standing in front of Sans again, and this time he was between you and the door.

"Let me through, Sans."

"How about you sit your ass down and promise you won't pick up random hitch-hikers?"

You shove past him, using your shoulder to push his own out of your way, shaking off the hand that grabbed for your sleeve. You would not be treated like a child, and you would NOT apologize for helping somebody!

"Frisk! God damn you, stop acting like a child!"

You freeze and felt you hands clench at your sides. _Deep breaths_ , you thought, trying to stave off your temper. You were usually so cheerful and willing to just let things go, but he was really pushing it.

"I'm... acting like... a child? How exactly am I doing that, you two-faced lazy sack of _shit_?!"

Well, you had tried.

For another hour you shouted at each other, called each other horrible things, and dragged past mistakes up out of their mental graves. For that hour, you had cried and felt guilt growing along with your anger.

Then Papyrus showed up, smiling like always, and you took advantage of Sans' momentary distraction. You marched out into the cold December night, not bothering to get your coat.

"Human! Did you need something?"

"Nope. Going for a walk."

"Ah!" He smiled and waved as you started down the sidewalk. "When should we expect you back?"

You didn't reply, just glared at Sans and flipped your middle finger at him and walked on in the dark.

You would probably regret it later, but for now you felt great. You felt like you had won.

You did regret it later, when you heard the worried voice-mails give way to panic. Then, you pointed your feet to home.


	16. Glad it Wasn't Him

The In-between

You were not sure what to make of things. Humans were not known for being the most accepting things, especially for things that were new to them. _Good lord,_ you thought, _they can't even handle it when there is a color difference between members of our own species!_

You had been reading emails and letters all day. While some of them were wonderful and full of glad wishes of good monster/human relations, others were... Nervous, at best.

 _They were kept away from normal people for a reason._

 _You don't know that none of them want to hurt humans._

 _They are going to eat our children and destroy our hard work and civilization._

All of it pretty much saying the same thing. "These things are different, and that scares me." You really didn't blame them for at least some fear. You had been terrified when you first found yourself face to face with monsters (though upon reflection, perhaps there was a reason to fear Flowey...) but after some time and talking, you had learned that they were people too. Just... with magic and sometimes looked a little strange.

You opened another letter and a photo fell out of a little girl and her new friend, a moldsmal. The pair wiggling happily on the grass of what you assumed was the child's yard.

Okay, some of them looked a lot strange.

You had never wanted to be the one to try to pave the way for monsters to integrate into human society, but considering that the other candidate was Papyrus, you knew you had to. He would never be able to handle just how much hate that humans could muster toward somebody that they didn't even know...

You reached for a package that was addressed to you. It was not very heavy, and the handwriting was rather poor. You smile, slicing the tape at the top and pulling at the flaps, frowning slightly when they seemed to catch. Maybe it was another package from the kids at the elementary school two cities away who sent drawings and cute little cards every now and then! Those always made your day.

You gave a hard tug on the cardboard edges. Somebody must have gone a little crazy with the tape.

Then there was a click and a fizzing sound. Then pain.

You shrieked and dropped the box, bringing your hands up to your face. The sudden spray had taken you by surprise, but the burning that followed you was terrible. You could feel your skin blistering as you wiped at it in a panic. What was this? Why did it burn like this? What was it going to do? You felt the skin on your chest start to burn too and began to claw at your shirt. Whatever it was, it had gotten there and had even leaked onto your legs when you had dropped the offending box.

Your screams brought Undyne into the kitchen. Her eye went wide as she stood frozen for a moment. Your skin was angry red and shiny, blood leaking from your nose and lips where the blisters had torn the more delicate skin. One eye was starting to swell as it poured tears, the white part of it bloody red. Your hands were red too, the skin pulled tight from more blistering until you couldn't move your fingers out of their splayed position.

"Oh shit, kid! What the fuck-"

She reached for you, intending to get the shirt off you as your hands were not working.

"No! Get... help... Help me..."

You were screaming again as you forced your swollen fingers to bend, the skin ripping as they did. You could hear Undyne calling for help, then grabbing the back of your shirt and trying to pull it off you without touching whatever had burned you. You knew she was trying to be careful but her claws caught your skin a few times, adding cuts to the list of reasons that this day was up there in awful.

You rubbed at your face in desperation, the tears from your hurting eye at least soothing your skin somewhat. You heard people running around and calling out to each other, but you could no longer make out what they were saying. All you knew was that it felt like your face and chest were melting, and it felt like your legs weren't far behind.

Strong hands lifted you from the floor as another set of hands pulled the rest of your clothes off. The air felt nice for a moment, cool. But then your skin seemed to remember what was happening and made the fire ten times hotter. You heard a deep rumbling voice speak softly and the shower head being turned on.

Shower head?

The cold water hit you like a ton of bricks. Honestly, you didn't know if you liked it or not. On one hand, cold was better than the searing heat, on the other, the pressure when the water hit your skin hurt almost as much as the burning liquid did. You squirmed and cried, the big hands holding you still while the water rinsed away the burning. You could hear sirens in the distance, and you heard your father shushing you and ordering Undyne to lead them up to you.

You were very glad you had not let Papyrus take this job...


	17. Heartbreak

The In-between

His name was Gideon.

You met him when you went with Mettaton to a bar for a karaoke night. You had signed up and sat beside your robot friend when a tall man wandered up to the little makeshift stage and smiled shyly out to the crowd at the bar. A few clapped and the music started. You were surprised when soft jazz music started playing. Pianos and bass was not something you had come to expect in this place...

You watched as a lopsided smile stole over his face and he started singing. When he had laughed and said something to his friends, you had thought his voice would be low, but instead a clear tenor came from him. His eyes fixed on you and you felt your heart jump a little.

He had pretty eyes...

You looked away quickly and started talking to Mettaton. The robot chatted with you for a moment before glancing at the man on the stage, then back to you. You didn't like the look on his face... That was the face of a monster who was plotting.

"Darling, do you know him?"

You looked up at him again and felt blood rush to your face when he smiled at you. Not the people in the bar, just you.

"N-no. Never seen him before in my life."

The robot smiled when the music faded, then stood.

"My song, dear! Get aquainted, eh?"

"Wait, what?"

The robot was already walking to the stage, grinning at the cheers and taking the microphone from the man. You saw your friend say something to him, then gesture toward you.

Oh, super...

The man walked to the bar and got a drink, then wandered toward you. His movements were slow, like he was always worried about his long limbs would collide with something if he moved too quickly. He sat down at your table, across from you, leaving a place open for Mettaton for when his songs were done. You knew you had time, because he always did at least three in a row.

"Hi."

"Hey... I... I liked your song. Nobody sings jazz here."

That lopsided smile again, then the smiling brown eyes locked on yours.

"I'm Gideon."

"Yeah..."

He raised an eyebrow and you realized your slip. You spluttered for a moment, introducing yourself and taking a drink to try to cover your blush. Did your face have to do this _now_?!

"So... Shot in the dark but... You free tomorrow?"

You had almost choked on your drink in your haste to answer him. Mettaton had been pleased to hear about the date that was set.

Other friends were... less so.

Toriel was pleased that you were going out, even offering to come over to your apartment to help you get ready. You had said no, though part of you was not looking forward to getting dressed up and having only your skeleton roomies opinions to go on. Asgore had been surprisingly calm about the news. He said you were old enough to go into a bar, you were old enough to date, though the set of his jaw made you wonder if that was how he really felt. You were pretty sure Toriel was giving him a look from behind you.

Undyne was okay with it, saying that she was looking forward to meeting him if it went well. Alphys did your panicking for you, wringing her hands and going over conversation topics and good places to go in town with handy escape routes for use in case of a sudden attack of nerves.

Papyrus was not sure how he felt about it. He very much wanted to meet Gideon first, to see if he was a 'good' human.

"You want to see if he meets your..."

"Human, no."

"PAP-roval?"

Papyrus groaned and you snorted. You looked to Sans to share a grin at the joke and the tall skeleton's response, but saw him sitting on the sofa just staring at the television. You sighed and looked back to Papyrus, who was telling you how you needed to make sure that this fellow was going to take you to a place that had good food. He continued to talk and ask you questions even while you got ready for the date, stopping only when you kicked him out of your room so you could change.

Before you left, you hugged Papyrus and told him that you would not be home until late, so you would see him in the morning. Sans accepted your hug, but was stiff and awkward in returning it. You would have to remember to talk to him about that later, when you two were alone. You were sure that you would be catching glimpses of blue the whole night.

Sans was your best friend, of course he would want to keep an eye on you.

…...

You hadn't seen this coming.

You stood on your doorstep, arms hanging limply at your sides.

He was leaving. He had gotten an offer to record all the way across the country, and had even asked you to go with him. Part of you wanted to go with him, but you knew that your place was here. Your family and friends needed you, and you had your own work and nothing waiting for you where he was going.

So you had broken up. Gideon had left you on the doorstep, his face as sad as you imagined yours to be. Your eyes stung as you finally turned and went inside, the voices of the skeleton brothers greeting you going quiet at the face you were making.

"HUMAN! Are... you alright?"

Then the dam broke and you cried to them about the events of the last few days. Even Sans, who had immediately claimed he did not like Gideon from the moment he met him, had gotten used to seeing him over the course of the year. He pulled his phone out and was about to punch in Undyne's number when his brother stopped him.

"Sans, they said that they both decided this was best."

Sans' eyes were dark as his voice grated out of him like a growl.

"He made Frisk cry, Paps. Look at them!"

You wiped your eyes and took both of their hands and pulled them toward the couch.

"Please, just sit with me for a while... I'll be fine... I..."

Your tears started again, and barely stopped until the next day was almost over. You missed Gideon, missed the fun times you had together. You knew this was for the best, and were glad to have the others with you for your first real heartbreak.


	18. Down With The Sickness

The In-between

You were tired.

You had been at your parent's for an after-class visit for only a few hours when your mother's sore throat had progressed to full-blown sick. You had seen monsters catch cold before, it did not surprise you at first. Then a few hours later your father got sick too, with the same symptoms. You had called Alphys then, worried.

"They're throwing up, shaking, coughing and complaining of cold. Is it flu? Can monsters get flu?"

The former royal scientist had confirmed it and told you that there was little you could do but wait for it to pass, warning you that if you bought medicine for them to make sure that it was something that didn't have acetaminophen.

"Okay, no Tylenol, got it. But Aspirin is okay, right?"

"Y-yes. Aspirin won't hurt them as long a-as you take it properly."  
"Thanks Alphys. You're the best."

Alphys had stammered for a moment before saying goodbye to you and hanging up. You smiled at her sudden shyness and rolled up your sleeves.

You had some monsters to take care of.

You made sure your parents were comfortable before heading toward the store, pulling your phone out of your pocket and dialing Papyrus. When he answered in his usual loud manner, you launched into an explanation.

"Yeah, so mom and dad are pretty sick. I'm going to stay with them for today, so when you make dinner, just cook for you and Sans, okay?"

"WHAT? THE KING AND QUEEN ARE ILL?! I WILL BEGIN MAKING MY SPECIAL SPAGHETTI RIGHT AWAY!"  
"Paps, I am sure that they would appreciate it, but their stomachs probably won't handle spaghetti very well right now. I'm going to make soup for them, okay?"

"WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO COME OVER AND HELP?"

You cross into the store and pick up a basket, heading toward the pharmacy.

"No, I think you guys should stay away for a few days. I don't know if you guys can catch it, but why risk it?"

You chatted with the skeleton for a few minutes more, listening to him ramble about some of the children in the park he went to in the mornings for his run. Apparently they had decided that piling up on him would be more fun than whatever game they had been playing. You suggested that perhaps when summer came, he could see if there were any camps that might need somebody to help with the children as a councilor. He had laughed loudly, exclaiming about the brilliance of the idea and how children could benefit from being around one as great as him.

Your trip home was uneventful, though you wished that you had brought your bike or just used your father's car. The door opened after some fiddling (really, you should have taken the car so you didn't have to run all the bags in at once...) and you were greeted with Toriel making a dash for the bathroom while Asgore dozed in his favorite armchair.

You started cooking, shooing your mother out of the kitchen when she moved to help you with cutting up the vegetables. You jumped when you heard your phone buzz. It was a text from Sans.

 **Sans –** _Paps said your folks are sick. How are they doing?_

You tapped out a message telling him that they were alright, but you would not be home that night. He asked if you needed anything, saying he would bring it by later when he got out of work. You asked him for something to sleep in and your toothbrush, along with your tablet and headphones, before telling him that you had to go before the soup boiled over.

Your father was easy to take care of. He meekly did as you said, accepting cups of tea and bowls of soup without complaint as you checked times to be sure he took medicine at the right times.

Your mother, however, was another story. She took the tea, but she was insistent on helping you do things around the house, rather than resting like she was supposed to. You had walked out to bring the trash to the road, a chore that took less than five minutes, and when you came in she was washing dishes.

"Mom, come on! You're supposed to be resting!"

"Oh nonsense. I can still help you."

You groaned and watched her slowly put the dish she was washing down onto a towel before turning suddenly away and heading toward the bathroom again. You heard the retching and sighed. Your mom was getting the raw end of the deal on the stomach upset it seemed, though you knew Asgore was also vomiting.

You finally got them both to go to bed shortly after 10, promising you would be less overbearing in the morning and that you didn't mind hanging around with them for a little while until they got a little better. You sprawled out on the sofa with a sigh, then picked up your phone.

 _Hey Sans. You're still bringing me my stuff, right?_

 **Sans –** _Yup. Paps went to bed a little while ago, so I should be there in a couple minutes._

 _Just be quiet when you get here. Mom and Dad are in bed._

 **Sans –** _Gotcha. See you soon._

You stood and wandered to the bathroom, turning the water on and getting in the shower without thought. Sans would be teleporting there anyway, so you figured that you may as well get clean and be comfortable while you waited. You washed quickly and wrapped your head in a towel before pulling your robe on. Why put your dirty sweaty clothes back on if fresh things were on their way? You were in the kitchen heating up leftover chicken and rice when Sans showed up.

You felt more than heard Sans' arrival. Magic always made your hair stand up a little, like a balloon being passed over your head. You turned to him and smile, holding out a hand for the bag that was being held out to you.

"Thankee sai!"

"Long days and pleasant nights, ka. You up for a movie, or are you heading to bed soon?"

You ducked back into the bathroom, changing and dragging a brush through your hair.

"Yeah, I'm up for a movie, it just has to be quiet. You staying here tonight?"

The short skeleton shrugged as the two of you settled down on the sofa, letting you rest your feet on his legs as you ate.

"I don't know. See if I fall asleep or not I guess."

You nod and start the movie, turning the volume way down so as not to wake your parents. You and Sans talk through most of it, though by the end you both have fallen asleep.

Two days later, everybody in the skeleton household was sick too, including you.


End file.
